Hubbardston Planning Board names Christopher Monroe chair, forwards committee slate to Select Board

The Town of Hubbardston Planning Board unanimously elected Christopher Monroe as its chair and approved a slate of planning-board representatives to other town and regional committees at its meeting.

The board voted to endorse the proposed list of appointments and to forward the slate to the Select Board for formal ratification. A member moved to recommend the slate “as agreed upon within the record,” and another member seconded the motion; the roll-call vote recorded members announcing “aye” and the motion carried.

The appointments include keeping the chair as the town’s representative to the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), continuing Mark as the MRPC alternate/associate member (subject to select-board ratification), and filling the planning-board seat on the Economic Development Committee. Members also confirmed existing representation on the Community Preservation Committee and Capital Improvement/Preservation committees in the coming year.

Steiger, who moved to accept the previous meeting’s minutes earlier in the session, thanked the chair for his work: “Appreciate the effort that you've put into this year. Thank you, Chris,” Steiger said during the discussion.

Board members noted MRPC is starting a strategic-planning process and is seeking a new executive director, and they discussed the town-administrator search committee's largely in‑person nature. The board agreed the Select Board must make the formal appointments after it transmits the planning board’s recommendations.

The planning board confirmed its next meeting will be the third Thursday of the month and said the planner (Alec) will help facilitate a session to review the board’s project list and priorities.